Happy weekend guys! It’s been a while since my last post. As always, I have been eating and eating, but just have not found the time to upload photos and start writing! Worse stilll I’ve been OBSESSED with this book I’m reading called Shades of Grey by Jasper FForde – NOT, I repeat, NOT, to be confused with the horrible 50 Shades franchise. I borrowed mine from the National Library, it’s SO GOOD!!!

Shades of Grey is about this dystopian world where social hierarchy is dictated by the colours one can perceive, and so the Greys are the lowest on the scale, whereas the purples are considered high up because they can see red, blue and purple – that sort of thing. The dialogue between the characters are usually really funny in a dry humour way. Such great writing, like a modern day Evelyn Waugh, and more accessible.

Aaanyway, unlike the Rihanna and Calvin Harris collab, this book talk is not what you came for. I’m really here to talk about my recent lunch at Wilder Cafe on North Bridge Road before heading over the the National Library for Rent the Musical! (My first time watching Rent, great set design.)

Cantiknya ya Allah (lol melebih)

Industrial chic like the former Rouse

I’m not supposed to pixelate his face right?

As you can see from the photos above, Wilder is beautiful! I love what they’ve done with the space, it feels very welcoming.

Here’s a look at the brunch menu:

Ignore my friend’s RIDICULOUS reflection

Dranks and stuff

We ordered the Pulled Beef Fries (S$15), which was described in the menu as having 12-hour braised beef and 3 types of melted cheese over fries:

Pulled Beef Fries ($15) – 6/10

So my friend and I were deciding between either these Pulled Beef Fries or the Old Fashioned Truffle Fries (S$11), and in the end the Pulled Beef Fries won out because it was more unique. Plus, we were curious about how the pulled beef would taste after having been braised for 12 hours.

Unffff – if only it tasted as good as it looked

Alas, these were a letdown. Off the bat I thought the presentation in this blue-grey bowl was not really appetizing (maybe try a platter?!), and I wish they’d used thicker-cut fries. These thin fries were frankly soggy and a little hard. I like my fries crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside. These were neither.

The pulled beef was also not the most tender, and fairly dry. I don’t know what happened in the preparation process, but I would have much preferred if the pulled beef were more saucy and tender, so that the fries could have soaked up the gravy and the flavour that comes with it. I feel like it’s a great concept, but maybe the execution/preparation was not the best. I hope they can improve on this! In the meantime, 6/10 unfortunately.

For my mains I got the Eggs and Salted Egg Crab (S$17), consisting of two poached eggs, and crabmeat with salted egg sauce on a croissant:

Eggs and Salted Egg Crab (S$17) – 9/10

UGHHH look at that frothy creamy goodness and them CURRY LEAVES UGH YUM

OK so let’s start with the negatives – check out the sad few rocket leaves on the tomato (which thankfully was pretty yummy). It couldn’t hurt to add a handful more leaves to make up a decent side salad. Secondly the poached egg was not very presentable, and could’ve been slightly runnier. Thankfully, the salted egg sauce made up for this so that each bite was juicy and not dry.

On to the plusses – i liked the croissant. It lent a slight sweetness and also some crunch to the dish. I can imagine it would also save time for the kitchen staff who wouldn’t have to bother themselves with fresh toast or muffins.The crabmeat portion was generous, and went well with the salted egg taste! A pretty solid dish, although for S$17 I really would expect at least a little more salad, or better looking poached eggs. 9/10

My friend (who guest-starred in the menu reflection) got the Baked Spinach and Cheese (S$8) and topped up S$3.50 for some smoked salmon:

Baked Spinach and Cheese with added smoked salmon (S$11.50) – 7.5/10

MMMM CHEEESYYYYYYYY

I liked this dish – it was really creamy and cheesy, and annoyingly had more rocket leaves than my croissant LOL. There was an adequate amount of spinach in it, and the smoked salmon added extra texture. It was quite comforting. I only have 2 gripes about this – the cheese/cream base was a little too liquidy, almost like chunky soup. Maybe they could have done something to make it a little more solid, like add some ingredient to bind the cream and cheese together. My second bone to pick was that they made the cream base a little too spicy. We found bits of chilli padi in it. Go easy on the chilli, and I think we’d be 9/10. For now though, 7.5/10!

We didn’t get any dessert since we were pressed for time, but all in all we had a pretty good time at Wilder. I think it’ll be a nice place to go for coffee or just a casual hang with some friends. It was fairly quiet when I was there, and like I said, the decor felt really welcoming.

It’s worth noting this place does not charge GST or service charge, since you order and pay at the counter. Cutleries and water are available at the self-service station. It’s very no-frills. Oh they also sell random paraphernalia like this Salted Egg Fries Tote Bag for S$28:

Pretty cute eh? If only I carried tote bags more. I have 4 right now at home I hardly use.

Lol I took a photo of this so I could put up the Opening Hours info here.

Hey guys! So in my previous post, I talked about my friends and I trying the food from Reminis at Sembawang Eating House? I also mentioned us trying food from a neighbouring stall and that was Golden Ladle!

Golden Ladle is right next to Reminis and serves mostly Western/Italian food, although “chaat masala salted egg sauce” also features on the menu (look it up under Sharing):

Man that Crabby Patty sounds good right now (it’s 1230am as I’m typing this)

The first thing that attracted me on the menu was the signature Sticky Chicken Wings (S$8):

Sticky Chicken Wings (SS8) – 10/10

I mean LOOK AT THESE WINGSSSSSSS 😀

Oh boy, I love chicken wings and these were superb!! The skin is crisp, and made super flavourful thanks to the coat of sweet/spicy/tangy sauce with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. These bad boys are literally finger-licking good! Hurrah for yet another place that gets wings right. 10/10

We also ordered a plate of calamari rings called the Squid-o-Rings (S$8):

Squid-o-Ring (S$8) – 7/10

I will level with you guys and say that this was pretty average. The flour coating was crispy for sure, but the batter tasted a little bland – not ideal considering regular squid isn’t naturally the most flavourful seafood unless it’s really fresh. I think it could stand to be little more savoury – maybe some curry powder or more salt and pepper in the mix. Thankfully I love squid in all forms so we still cleaned this up! 6.5/10

I think if the delicious chicken wings are anything to go by, Golden Ladle has a lot of promise! The next time I’m back I will definitely try either the Crabby Patty with Avocado Pesto and Spiced Salsa (S$10) or the Soft-Shell Crab with Chaat Masala Salted Egg Sauce (S$14). Let’s be real though, I will probably get both haha. I’ll definitely keep you guys posted!

** Update as of 2 June 2017: Rem.i’nis has closed down their physical stall at 33 Sembawang Road BOOHOO!!! Peep the 3 May announcement on their instagram account @rem.inis. For the month of Ramadan though, they are taking orders for some of their signature dishes such as the TRUFFLING MAC & CHEESE OMG UNFFFF. You’ll have to pick the orders up from their place at Punggol so do check out their instagram for more details! **

I have this friend who, for some reason entirely beyond me, seems to have her finger on the pulse of the halal food scene. Which is to say, she knows all these super obscure new places to try.

So a couple of Fridays ago when she entreated me and my other friend to go to Rem.i’nis (we’ll get to the spelling later) at Sembawang Road, I did not take this suggestion lightly. Never mind that I live about a plane ride away, and that the spelling of the name was kind of crazy. I trusted my friend and managed to strongarm her into driving us there, so off we went.

Rem.i’nis is a stall in the coffeeshop on Sembawang Road (33 Sembawang Eating House), about a 10-minute walk from Word Cafe and Springleaf Prata Place. It labels itself a “Tex-Mex infused with Asian flavours”, and honestly I do not understand the spelling at all – sekejap full stop sekejap apostrophe, Ya Allah – but I’m sure they have their reasons for it. If the food is good, I’ll give them a free pass for playing fast and loose with punctuation. Also for the rest of this post I’ll just refer to them as Reminis ok? Perfect.

My friends and I were trying out dishes from Reminis and also its next-door neighbour Golden Ladle (which I will review separately), so we only ordered a couple of things from each place.

First we ordered the Jeng-Goat Mutton Burger (S$9):

Jeng-Goat Mutton Burger (S$9) – 7.5/10 but could’ve been 9/10 if the buns were better!

Yum I like the fries! They were well-seasoned and crispy, a little like Long John Silvers’ fries on its best day (idk how you folks feel about LJS but I kind of love it – it appeals to my most base instincts). The burger itself was really good but I feel it was let down by the buns! The goat patty was thick, juicy and tasty, so full points there. The layer of cheese and harissa sauce ensured each bite was extra juicy and delicious. THE BUNS, however, could have been better – they broke apart all too easily and was a little insubstantial/aerated. My point of reference for a really good bun would be the brioche buns used in The Ugly Duckling’s duck confit burger; boy those are super yummy and chewy with good bite. 7.5/10

Next was an item I saw on the menu and simply HAD to order, the Truffling Mac & Cheese (S$7) and topped up an additional S$1.50 for some beef filling:

Truffling Mac & Cheese (S$8.50 with beef) – 10/10

OMGGGGGG so gooey and creamy and meaty omg dying omg this looks just about as good as it tasted

OK so, no big deal but THIS MACARONI AND CHEESE WAS SO GOOD YOU GUYS. And at only S$8.50?! I’ll have 10 of those! Seriously. Not at all jelak, you guys. I must say the seasoned beef very slightly overpowered the taste of the truffle oil/truffle butter, but overall I loved the alternating tastes of the beef and the truffle. The macaroni itself was chewy and had good bite, without being too tough or overcooked. Each spoonful of this dish was juicy, sloppy, and delicious. 10/10 without a doubt.

All in all I would definitely come back to Reminis, even if it means making the haul from the West all the way out to Sembawang, and even if it means having to type out Rem.i’nis many more times in my life – spelling be damned! That truffle mac & cheese alone is motivation enough! I’ve already raved about it to anyone who will hear me out, LOL. At the same time I wouldn’t mind trying the many other items on the menu.

My one gripe about this place is they only provide plastic cutlery and not the usual metal ones, so it’s a little delicate. I can see why they would do it, because of cleanup and manpower considerations, but yes I would’ve definitely preferred metal cutlery. Small matter though; good food triumphs over other concerns always.

** Update as of 2 June 2017: Rem.i’nis has closed down their physical stall at 33 Sembawang Road BOOHOO!!! Peep the 3 May announcement on their instagram account @rem.inis. For the month of Ramadan though, they are taking orders for some of their signature dishes such as the TRUFFLING MAC & CHEESE OMG UNFFFF. You’ll have to pick the orders up from their place at Punggol so do check out their instagram for more details! **